WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump announced Thursday the signing of an executive order halting all new offshore wind farm leases in New Jersey, delivering a blow to a key initiative championed by Governor Phil Murphy.
Trump celebrated the decision, taking aim at the Murphy administration’s environmental policies and the proposed offshore wind project, calling it a “large scale Windmill DISASTER.” He credited Congressman Jeff Van Drew for opposing the project and labeled it as dependent on “MASSIVE GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY that was impossible to justify.”
“Congratulations to the great people of New Jersey,” Trump said in a statement. “You have FINALLY won your war on stupidity!”
The halted project was intended to advance Murphy’s goal of transitioning the state to renewable energy, particularly through offshore wind farms. Critics, including Trump and Van Drew, have argued the projects are expensive, inefficient, and harmful to marine ecosystems and coastal aesthetics.
While proponents of offshore wind development say the industry is critical for reducing reliance on fossil fuels and addressing climate change, opponents claim the projects threaten local tourism and the fishing industry.
The executive order is expected to stall New Jersey’s progress toward renewable energy targets, drawing sharp divides between environmental advocates and those opposed to wind energy infrastructure.
Most residents and elected officials at the Jersey Shore oppose offshore wind farms, according to multiple surveys and polls over the past few years.